Jewel box



n... W mam Sept. 19, 1961 W. L. GROSS JEWEL BOX Filed April 10, 1959 INVENTOR WILLIAM L. GROSS M Aw 'ATTORNEY 3,000,685 JEWEL BOX William L. Gross, Great Neck, N.Y., assignor to Bond Street Jewel Case Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 805,485 12 Claims. (Cl. 312290) The present invention relates to a jewel box, and more particularly to a jewel box having a single outside lock for locking both a hinged top, and a drawer of the jewel box.

Many jewel boxes have a hinged top which covers a fixed tray in the jewel box, and a drawer which slidably extends through the front of the jewel box beneath the fixed tray. It is desirable to provide such jewel boxes with means for locking both the hinged top, and the drawer so that the jewel box can be safely carried about without either the hinged top swinging open, or the drawer sliding open. Also, for the convenience of the user of the jewel box, and to provide the jewel box with a pleasing appearance, it is desirable to have only a single lock on the outside of the jewel box which will lock both the hinged top and the drawer of the jewel box.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel jewel box.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a jewel box having a single lock on the outside of the jewel box by which both a hinged top and a drawer of the jewel box can be locked.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a jewel box having a hidden inside lock for a drawer of the jewel box.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a jewel box having a hidden inside lock for a drawer of the jewel box which is automatically locked when a hinged top of the jewel box is closed.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this inven tion is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the jewel box of the present invention with the hinged top of the jewel box being open.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the front portion of the jewel box of the present invention showing the hidden inside lock for the drawer of the jewel box.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the front portion of a modification of the jewel box of the present invention.

Referring initially to FIGURE 1, the jewel box of the present invention is generally designated as 10.

Jewel box comprises a substantially rectangular box 12 having a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, side walls 18 and 20, and a bottom, not shown. As shown in FIG- URE 2, the top edge of the front wall 14 of box 12 is tapered downwardly from the inner surface of the front wall 14. The upper edges of the rear wall 16, and side walls 18 and 20 are likewise tapered downwardly from the inner surfaces of the respective walls. A tray 22 is fixedly secured across the box 12 adjacent the top edges of the walls of the box 12. Tray 22 is supported on braces 24 which are secured to the side walls 18 and 20 of the box 12. A plurality of dividers 26 are secured to the top surface of the tray 22. Dividers 26 form a plurality of compartments for the reception of jewelry.

A drawer, generally designated as 28, slidably extends into the box 12 beneath the tray 22 through an opening 30 in the front wall 14 of the box 12. A rectangular plate Patented Sept. 19, 1961 32 is secured to the front wall 34 of the drawer 28. Plate 32 is larger than the opening 30 in the front wall 14 of box 12, so that the plate 32 will engage the outer surface of the front wall 14 of box 12, and thereby limit the movement of the drawer 28 into the box '12. A pair of pull knobs 36 are secured to the front surface of the plate 32 by which the drawer 28 can be pulled from the box 12.

A U-shaped latch strap 38 is secured to the inner surface of the front wall 34 of drawer 28 adjacent the top edge of the front wall 34. The arms 40 of the latch strap 38 extend through the front wall 34 of drawer 28. The front ends 42 of the arms 40 are bent over the front surface of the front wall 34, and are clamped between the plate 32 and the front wall 34 of the drawer 28. The base 44 of the latch strap 38 is spaced from the inner surface of the front wall 34 of drawer 28 a distance such that when the drawer 28 is completely closed, the base 44 of the latch strap 38 projects inwardly a slight distance beyond the inner surface of the front wall 14 of box 12.

A fiat, vertically extending latch rod 46 is slidably mounted on the inner surface of the front wall 14 of box 12 above the tray 22, and in vertical alignment with the latch strap 38. Latch rod 46 has a longitudinally extending slot 48 therethrough. Slot 48 extends from adjacent the bottom end of the latch rod 46 to a point adjacent the top end of the latch rod 46 so that the ends of the slot 48 are closed. A pair of vertically spaced headed nails 50 extend through the slot 48 in latch rod 46 into the front wall 14 of box 12. Nails 50 slidably support the lach rod 46 on the front wall 14 of box 12. The top end 52 of latch rod 46 is bent away from the front wall 14 of box 12 to provide a handle by which the latch rod 46 can be lifted or lowered. When the drawer 28 is completely closed, and the latch rod 46 is in its lowered position, as shown in solid lines in FIG- URES 2 and 3, the latch rod 46 extends through a hole 54 in the front edge of the tray 22, and between the base 44 of latch strap 38 and the front wall 34 of drawer 28. Thus, in the lowered position of latch rod 46, the latch rod 46 engages the inner surface of the base 44 of latch strap 38, and locks the drawer 28 from being pulled open. When the latch rod 46 is in its raised position, as indicated by the dotted lines in FIGURES 2 and 3, the bottom end of the latch rod 46 is above the latch strap 38 so that the drawer 28 can be pulled open.

A top 56 is hingedly secured to the box 12. Top 56 comprises a rectangular cover 58, a front wall 60, a rear wall '62, and side walls 64 and 66. The bottom edges of the walls 60, 62, 64, and 66 of the top 56 are beveled to mate with the beveled top edges of the walls 14, 16, 18, and 20 of the box 12. The rear wall 62 of top 56 is hingedly secured to the rear wall 16 of the box 12 by a pair of hinges 68. A hinge plate 70 is pivotably secured at one end to the inner surface of the side wall 66 of top 56 by a nail 72, and pivotably secured at the other end to the inner surface of the side wall 28 of box 12 by a nail 74. Nail 74 extends through an elongated slot 76 in the hinge plate 70 which permits the top 56 to be swung from its vertical open position to its closed position in which the top 56 extends horizontally across the box 12 with the top 56 seated on the walls of the box 12. A spring actuated latch 78 is secured to the outer surface of the front wall 60 of top 56. A catch 80 is secured to the outer surface of the front wall 14 of box 12, and is adapted to receive and hold the locking lug 82 of the latch 78. Catch 80 has a key operated lock 84 for locking the latch 78 to the catch 80.

The jewel box 10 of the present invention is completely locked in the following manner.

Drawer 28 is completely closed, and the latch rod 46 is pushed downwardly until the bottom end of the latch rod 46 extends between the base 44 of latch strap 38 and the front wall 34 of the drawer 28. This prevents the drawer 28 from being pulled open. The top 56 is then swung to its closed position over the box 12, and the latch 78 is pressed into the catch 80. The lock 84 is then actuated by its key to lock the latch 78 in the catch 80. T open the drawer 28 it is then necessary to unlock the lock 84, and release the latch 78 from the catch 88. The top 56 is then swung to its open position to expose the latch rod 46. The latch rod 46 is then lifted upwardly by its handle 52 until the bottom end of the latch rod 46 is above the latch strap 38. The drawer 28 is then free to be pulled open. Thus, by a single lock 84 on the outer surface of the jewel box of the present invention, both the top 56 and the drawer 28 of the jewel box 10 can be locked.

FIGURE 4 shows a modification of the jewel box of the present invention, generally designated as 18a. Jewel box 10a is similar to the jewel box 10 shown in FIGURES 1-3, except that the latch rod 46a is longer than the latch rod 46 of jewel box 10, and the upper end 52a of latch rod 46a is bent to extend over the top edge of the front wall 14a of the box 12a. Latch rod 46a is of a length so that when the latch rod 46:: is in its lowermost locking position, the top end 52a of the latch rod 46a fits in a notch 86 in the upper edge of the front wall 14a of the box 32a. Since the top end 52a of latch rod 46a extends across the upper edge of the front wall 14a, when the top 56a of the jewel box 10a is swung to its closed position, the front wall 69:; of the top 56a will engage the top end 52a of the latch rod 46a and will move the latch rod 461: vertically downwardly to the locking position of the latch rod 46a. Thus, the drawer 28a of the jewel box 10a is automatically locked when the top 56a of the jewel box 10a is swung to its closed position. Also, since the top end 52a of the latch rod 46a is clamped between the front wall 60a of the top 56a and the front wall 14a of the box 12a when the top 56a is closed and locked, there is no danger that the latch rod 46a will be moved to its open position if the jewel box Illa is accidentally dropped topside down.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A jewel box comprising a substantially rectangular box having an open top, a drawer slidably fitting into said box through an opening in the front wall of the box, a latch strap secured to the inner surface of the front wall of said drawer, said latch strap lying in: a plane parallel to the plane of said front wall, a vertically extending latch rod slidably mounted on the inner surface of the front wall of the box vertically above said latch strap, said latch rod being selectively slidable by manual manipulation between a lowermost position in which the latch rod engages said latch strap to prevent the drawer from being pulled open, and an uppermost position in which the bottornmost end of the latch rod is above the latch strap, a cover on said box movable between an open position and a closed position, said latch strap being accessible only when said cover is in its opened position, and means for locking said cover to said box in the closed position of said cover, said cover having a front wall lying in the plane of the front wall of said box in the closed position of said cover.

2. A jewel box in accordance with claim 1 in which the upper end of the latch rod is bent to extend away from the front wall of the box to provide a handle for lifting and lowering said latch rod.

3. IA jewel box in accordance with claim 1 in which the upper end of the latch rod is bent to extend over the upper edge of the front wall of the box, and the latch rod is of a length that when the latch rod is in its lowermost locking position, the upper end of the latch rod engages the upper edge of the front wall of the box.

4. A jewel box in accordance with claim 1 including a tray fixedly secured across the box above the drawer, said tray having a hole in its front edge through which the latch rod extends. t

5. A jewel box in accordance with claim 1 in which the latch strap is substantially U-shaped with the arms of the latch strap extending through and secured to the front wall of the drawer, and the base of the latch strap being spaced from the inner surface of the front wall of the drawer, and the latch rod in its lowermost locking position extends between the base of said latch strap and the front wall of the drawer.

6. A jewel box in accordance with claim 5 in which the latch rod has a longitudinally extending slot therethrough, said slot being closed at each end of the latch rod, and a pair of vertically spaced headed nails extending through the slot in the latch rod into the front wall of the box to slidably mount the latch rod on the box.

7. A jewel box comprising a substantially rectangular box having an open top, a drawer slidably fitting into said box through an opening in the front wall of the box, a latch strap secured to the inner surface of the front wall of said drawer, said latch strap lying in a plane parallel to the plane of said front wall, a vertically extending latch rod slidably mounted for selective manual reciprocation on the inner surface of the front wall of the box vertically above said latch strap, said latch rod being slidable between a lowermost position in which the latch rod engages said latch strap to prevent the drawer from being pulled open and an uppermost position in which the bottommost end of the latch rod is above the latch strap, a cover hingedly mounted on the back wall of said box, said cover being movable between an open position and a closed position over the top of said box, said latch strap being accessible only when said cover is in its opened position, and means for locking said cover to said box in the closed position of said cover, said cover having a front wall lying in the plane of the front wall of said box in the closed position of said cover.

8. A jewel box in accordance with claim 7 in which the upper end of the latch rod is bent to extend away from the front wall of the box to provide a handle for lifting and lowering said latch rod.

9. A jewel box in accordance with claim 7 in which the upper end of the latch rod is bent to extend over the upper edge of the front wall of the box, and the latch rod is of a length that when the latch rod is in its lowermost locking position the upper end of the latch rod engages the upper edge of the front wall of the box.

10. A jewel box in accordance with claim 7 including a tray fixedly secured across the box above the drawer, said tray having a hole in its front edge through which the latch rod extends.

11. A jewel box in accordance with claim 7 in which the latch strap is substantially U-shaped with the arms of the latch strap extending through and secured to the front wall of the drawer, and the base of the latch strap being spaced from the inner surface of the front wall of the drawer, and the latch rod in its lowermost locking position extends between the base of latch strap and the front wall of the drawer.

12. A jewel box in accordance with claim ll in which the latch rod has a longitudinally extending slot therethrough, said slot being closed at each end of said latch rod, and a pair of vertically spaced headed nails extending through the slot in the latch rod into the front wall of the box to slidably mount the latch rod on the box.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 635,031 Baker Oct. 17, 1899 865,573 Diehl Sept. 10, 1907 5 1,006,605 Tilton Oct. 24, 1911 6 Shearer July 13, 1937 Levensten June 16, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden May 8, 1909 

